Weeping mother urges Taser moratorium in Canada

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - A mother whose
son's death at a Canadian airport ignited debate over the
safety of Taser stun guns wept on Thursday as she called for a
moratorium on their use.

"I know my son would not (have) died if he was not
Tasered," Zofia Ciscowski told a public inquiry launched into
the death of her son, Robert Dziekanski, during a confrontation
with police after he arrived at Vancouver's airport as a new
immigrant from Poland.

Ciscowski's lawyer said too many questions have been raised
about the weapon's safety and the adequacy of police training
on using the Taser to allow it to be used until Canada
completes an independent safety investigation.

"It's time to put the genie back in the bottle and to start
from square one," lawyer Walter Kosteckyj told the public
inquiry, which is looking at both the airport incident and the
broader issue of the weapon's use.

The stun guns made by TASER International Inc. have become
popular with police internationally as a means of subduing
people. They use a 50,000-volt jolt of electricity that causes
muscle spasms and incapacitates a person.

The stun gun's supporters say it is much safer for both the
person being arrested and police officers than other weapons
such as firearms and batons.

Critics have accused Arizona-based Taser of pushing the
product into the market without adequate independent testing of
health risks such as heart failure.

Taser announced on Thursday the release of three new
studies in the United States that it said showed its devices
had no effect on human hearts or pacemakers.
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